Well cleaner



" www R. E. CARMICHAEL WELL CLEANER Filed NOV. 6, 1922 Feb. 19 1924,

atented Feb. 19, 1924. A

sr'ras ROBERT E. CICHAEL, 0F HOUSTON, TE.

'WELL CLEANER.

Application le November 6, 1922. Serial No. 599,274.

To aZlwzom t ma concern:

Be it lmown that 1, ROBERT E. CARMI- oHAnL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Houston, Harris County, Texas, have invented acertain new and useful Im rovement in Well Cleaners, of which thefldllowing is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

M invent-ion relates to an improvement in the apparatus for and theprocess of cleaning wells of sand, shale and other material which tendto clog the pump during the pumping operations, and prevent the oil fromentering the apparatus.

1t is frequently the case that when a well has been drilled into the paystrata, the oil is found to be contained within a fine sandor a heavingshale which tends to cave or flow in toward the strainer or perforatedpipe and to fill the pipe with the mixture of oil and shale and to clogthe lower end of the pumping apparatus.

1t is the object of my invention to provide a device which, whenproperly operated, will serve to remove the sand and shale from aboutthe lower end of the casing or pipe and to form a cavity adjacent thepipe into which the oil may flow and thus be pumped from the groundwithout the usual difficulty of clogging.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which may be readily installedand cheaply operated so as to perform the functions stated.

Another object is to provide a process of removing the sand and shalefrom about the perforated pipe or strainer in the well so that therewill be no further tendency to clog the same while the pump is beingoperated.

@ther objects and advantages of my improvement will be more fully setforth in the specification which follows, and will be set forth withparticularity in connection with the claims appended hereto.

The gure of the drawings is a view in vertical section of the apparatusinstalled in a well.

n'carrying out my process 1 have formed an outer casing 1 which isperforated at 2 adjacent the lower end to allow the entrance thereto ofthe oil or water which is to be pumped. The upper end of this casing 1sformed with a lateral Bange 3 at the upper pumped into the well.

end and a lower inwardly projecting flange 4 spaced somewhat below theupper end to form a stuffing box. A sleeve of the usual construction isadapted to fit within the casing and is adjustable vertically againstthe packing 7 by means of a bolt 6 extending through a flange 5 upon thesleeve and through the adjacent flange 3 on the casing in the usualmanner.

The casing has, below the stuliing box, a laterall extending inlet pipesecured to the casing gy means of the coupling 8 and serving as anentrance for flushing fluid. This pipe may have a laterally branchingpipe 9 thereon through which air may be forced.

Extending through the stuffing box formed at 7 is an air-conducting pipe14. This pipe is slidable through the stuffing box 7 and extendsdownwardly into the well and is secured within a threaded nipple 24. Theupper end of the pipe has a branching inlet 16 connected to a trance ofeither air or water. side of the T an inlet pipe 19 is connected, inwhich is formed a check valve 18 allowing the entrance of air underpressure, but adapted to prevent its escape outwardly. The pipe 19 ispreferably made flexible so as to allow the raising and lowering of thepipe 14 through the stufling box, as desired.

0n the other side of the 'l' 17 is connected a pipe 21 having therein acheck valve 20 allowing the passage of fluid inwardly but not outwardly.The pipe 2l is preferably a iiexible hose connected to a length of pipe22 adjacent the device and at the other end of said pipe 22 to a pump23. r1`he pipe 22 is of suflicient length to prevent a rapid flow offluid therein, as will be later described.

Within the air pipe 14 is an interior outlet pipe 30. This pipe isperforated at 28 adjacent the lower end and is seated within the swedgedcoupling 24 previously described, and fits Within a central seat 29therein. The lower end of the compound coupling 24 is reduced indiameter and threaded internally at 26 to receive a short length of pipe27, said pipe being preferably of the same diameter as the pipe 30.Above the coupling 24 the. pipe 30 is perforated at 28 to allow air toenter the same from the inside of the pipe 14. rlhis allows a passage 25 through the outlet pipe for the fluid The upper end of the pipe 30 ismade duid-tight with the outer Upon one air pipe 14 by means of a stungbox 31 T 17 to allow the en- I- tended downwardly to the sand or shalein having packing 15 therein. The upperend of the pipe is connected bymeans of an L 32 toan outlet pipe 33,v connected by means of a flexiblehose 34 to a pit or other-recep` tacle not shown, for the thewell. f' .I

This device, when used, is ordinarily exfluid coming from which thevpayA is located, It is'ordinaril sapin be found directly below a more Q1less the entrance of water or other liquid fron above the pay strata.

When it is desired it is usual to find the casing either wholly orpartially filled with water and mud standing therein, and it is desiredto pump water through the pipe 8 into the space outside of the pipe 14and upwardly through the passage 25 to the: surface, and thereby carryfrom the'bo-ttom of the well sand and shale which may be mixed with theliquid. It is found, however, that unless the current of flushing fluidis assisted by means of the lifting effect of air this sort of' devicewill be very quickly' clogged. Therefore, air is pumped into theair-conducting pipe 14 through the pipes 19 and 16 from some compresser,not shown. If this is attempted with the apparatus filled with liquid itwill be found that the air can 4not be forced downwardly in the pipe 14to the point adjacent the openings 28 where it finds entrance to theoutlet pipe. I have found,

' however, that if water is pumped in with the current o-f air, this maybe accomplished. Therefore, when the device is first started I pump, bymeans of the pump 23, a current of water or mud through the pipes 22, 21and 16, into the pipe 14, and thence downwardly to the perforations 28,and then upwardly therein. iVhile thispump is operating I force airthrough the pipe 19 intothe apparatus and this air will be carried inbubbles with the current of water from the pump and will be forceddownwardly with the water and through the perforations 28 into theoutlet pipe. This will be carried. on

for a period long enough to obtain a flow ofA air with the water throughthe pipe 14, and the outlet pipe 30. lVhen this has been accomplishedthe pump connected with the inlet pipe 8 will be started and the currentof water through this pipe to the bottom of the well will find an outletthrough the pipes 27 and 30 to the surface. As it passes the openings 28it will be mixed with air and will be assisted to he surface by the tostart the apparatus,

lifting effect of the air. Gradually the waterfrom the pump 23 may becut off and the apparatus will be found to work with air alone beingdischarged through the pipe charge' it through the pipes and 34 withsome force.

If the casing 1 is found to be partially l filled with sand or shale it.will be necessary` to raise the pipe 14 and the outlet -pipe 30 `throughthe stuffing box at the upper end of the casing until the lower end ofthe suc- .tion pipe 27 is on alevel with the top ofthe shale. p Theapparatus will then be started, and as the shale or sand is pumped withthe liquid from the casing the device may be gradually lowereddownwardly until 'the shale is entirely removed from the casing. Thefurther operation of the device will draw the shale or sand through theperforations in the easing and discharge it at the surface until a.cavity is formed below the stratum 11. This cavity will be constantlyfilled with wa-ter during the operation of the device, so that the waterwill tend to support this strat-um from the lower side. The shale `orsand will cave` inwardly and form the funnel-shaped cavity 13, whichwill be'thus filled with fluid.

Th-en it is found that a cavity has been formed and that oil is flowinginto the said cavity in some volume sufficienty to assist in clearingthe shale, it is best to use for the flushing fluid a current of oilinstead of water. The reason for this is that theoil will not-tend towash away the formation and will tend to carry away the shale and sandcoming into the casing linst as efficiently as the water. In a shorttime it will be found that the cavity is sufficiently large so that nofurther sand or shale comes out of the discharge pipe but that oil aloneis being pumped1 from the well. It is then possible to remove the pipes14 and 30, together with the connecting pipes thereon, and to then usethe. ordinary type of pump in pumping the oil from the well.

I find that, in forcing water and air both through the pipe 16, thepressure. of the air in the T 17 is sometimes great enough to interferewith the action of the water pump 23. If the line 22 is short theaireseapes past the. valve 20 and passes through the hose 21 to thepump. By the use of several lengths of pipe 22 in the linev between thepump 23 and the valve 20, the inertia of the water filling such pipewill prevent the' sudden escape of air past the check valve to the pumpand the device will work smoothly.

meteor,

The advantages of this process will be apparent to one skilled intheart. When the oil is found in strata which ordinarily tend to clog thepump and to prevent the obtaining of production from the well thisdevice may be employed. to clean away a cavity at the lower end of theperforated casing so that there will be no further danger or diculty dueto the caving inof the sand or shale. A well thus operated will producefor -long periods without the usual difficulty with the cavingformation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for cleaning wells, an outer casing perforated at thelower end, a stufling box at the upper end, an air-conducting pipeslidable through said stuiiing box and extending downwardly in. saidcasing, an outlet pipe fitting Huid-tight through the uppen end of saidair pipe and connected with said air pipe adjacent the lower end of saidair pipe, said outlet pipe being perforated above said connection withsaid air pipe, means to circulate liquid downwardly in said casing,means to force air downwardly in said air pipe whereby the flow of fluidin said outlet pipe is accomplished.

2. In a device for cleaning wells, an outer casing perforated at thelower end, a central outlet pipe, an intermediate air pipe secured tosaid outlet pipe adjacent the lower end of said outlet pipe, said outletpipe being perforated to allow entrance of air thereto, a stung box onthe upper endof said casing through which said air and outlet pipes areslidable, means to lpump liquid into said casing and means to force airinto said outlet pipe.

3. ln a device for cleaning wells, a well casing, an outlet pipe, an airinlet pipe between said casing and outlet pipe, means to force air andwater from said air pipe into said outlet pipe adjacent the lower endthereof, and means to force liquid down outside said air inlet pipe andout said outlet pipe.

4. In Va device for cleaning wells, a well casin an inner outlet pipe,an air inlet pipe outsi e said outlet pipe, saidiair pipe and outletpipe being vertically slidable in said casing, means to pump air andwater through said air inlet pipe into said outlet pipe adjacent thelower end, means to cut oli the said water from the air and means topump ushing fluid down through said casing and out said outlet pipe.

5. In a device for cleaning wells, means to pump water into the well tothe bottom thereof, a pipe to conduct said water from the well, means topump water and air into the pipe toward the lower end thereof, andmelalns to adjust said pipe vertically in the we 6. A process ofclearing wells of sand, shale and the like,. comprising forcing a mixedstream of water and air into a well to a point spaced upwardly from thebottom, gradually cutting olf the' water until a3 stream of air alone isused, forcing a stream of flushing liquid to the bottom and mixing thereturn streams of air and water.

7. A process of cleaning wells of sand, shale and the like comprising,forcing a streamof mixed air and water into a well, providing `an outlettherefor, then gradually cutting od' the water from the air stream, thenforcing tothelbottom of the well a separate stream of dashing uid andproviding for` its outlet with the air fromthe well.

8. A process of clearing wells of sand,

shale and the like comprising, forcing a stream of air into a well at apoint adjacent the lower end thereof, forcing a separate stream of waterto the bottom thereof and providing an outlet for both water and airfrom the well. I 9. A process of clearing wells of sand, shale and thelike comprising, forcing a stream of 4water down to the level of thesand or shale to wash the same from the well, forcing a stream of airinto the outlet current of liquid and adjustin the height of the outletfluid currents as t e material is washed out from the well.

In testimony whereof, l hereunto ax my signature this the 2nd day ofNovember, A. D. 1922.

ROBERT E. CMlICHAEL.

